


Braver Than You Think

by S_222



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Adult Eddie Kaspbrak, Adult Richie Tozier, Eddie survives, Eddie throws up on Richie, First Kiss, Fix-It, Fluff, Funny, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Richie sees Eddie die in the deadlights, Teasing, it chapter 2 - Freeform, r + e, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 20:13:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20841344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_222/pseuds/S_222
Summary: Richie sees Eddie die in the dead lights and prevents his death from happening. Barely making it out alive has the pair realizing that maybe it's time to be honest with their feelings.





	Braver Than You Think

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Reddie fic and I LOVED writing these two. I found it so healing after that sad ending, and I hope you all do too.  
Enjoy!

If there was one thing that hadn’t changed in the past 27 years, it was Richie’s ability to be brave for his friends when they needed it the most. His big mouth however; carrying that fitting nickname of “trash-mouth” into adulthood - was something that was bound to get him into trouble one day. 

That day unfortunately being today.

Pennywise had captured Richie in the dead-lights, the same lights used to stun Bev back when they were only children. Richie was stuck in a trance, mouth wide open and eyes rolled back as he faced his inevitable doom. 

For a moment, Richie was blinded with nothing but light, all senses leaving his body at once. And then he was faced with a vision. Almost as if his soul was floating above the chaos below, watching down as his friends fought off the horrors they had once faced before. In this vision he watched himself in his defenseless state until Eddie came into his view and that was all he could focus on.

He watched in horror as his friend summoned the bravery he knew he had in him all along, saving him from the clown – _but at what cost?_

Richie watched the foggy blur of their bodies almost morph into one as Eddie found his way hovering over his body, and then the sudden droplets of blood spurring around them as his chest was pierced in an instant.

Richie could somehow feel his heart shatter into a million pieces. He wanted to scream. He wanted to stand up and rip the clown apart with his bare hands. He wanted to do _something_. But he was unable to move, forced to watch what he assumed was Pennywise showing him the way Eddie was destined to die.

The way he died _saving him._

Meanwhile, Eddie had only just caught up, heaving over against the rocky wall to take in the sight before him. He spotted Richie floating in the air, completely unaware that his friend had just watched him die in an alternate reality. 

He was scared. So, so scared. But the sight of Pennywise closing in on Richie had ignited a spark of courage in him long enough to move.

Eddie reached a shaky hand behind his back, pulling out the sharp spear he had been given. “It kills clowns if you believe it does” he recites, remembering Bev’s words to him as he tightened his grip around the metal.

He believed. He had to believe.

_For Richie _He thought, cranking the spear back in his sweaty palm before hurling it full strength into the clowns gaping mouth.

Eddie watched as IT screeched in pain, retreating back from Richie enough to snap him out of his trance. His body was released from the air, consciousness regained as his back lands with a loud thud against the cold ground. 

Richie gasps in a breath as his vision returns, staring up in relief at the rocky cave above him. The first thing he realized was that he wasn’t dead - and most importantly – that neither was Eddie.

It had just been a vision, a horrible, _horrible_ vision.

He heard the rapid footsteps against the rocky pavement make their way towards his still body, ears perking up at the familiar voice calling his name.

“Richie!” Eddies face appeared above him, staring down at him with a courageous smile. Richie thought he looked like an angel. “I think I got him!”.

Eddie lightly shook Richie in delight as he spoke the words, waiting for some sort of praise that never came because Richie didn’t have time to let his guard down.

He Knew.

This had been his vision.

“Bet he didn’t see that com- “Eddie was cut off as Richie had suddenly gave a firm push to his body causing him to topple over while rolling them both along the stones digging into their body. He shielded him with his own frame as his entire weight pressed against Eddie’s smaller body pinning him against the ground.

Richie didn’t need to look to know they had merely avoided the swing of IT’s blade, the breeze of its movement blowing a gust against their faces before smashing hard into the space only mere centimeters from where they lay.

The pair exchanged a wide-eyed look, a mental _“holy fuck” _as Richie moved to pull Eddie up with him in a hurry. He clinged to him protectively, similar to how he always did as a child, and when the clown shot them both a haunting look, he squeezed Eddie a little tighter.

He was not happy.

“Run!” they both shouted at the same time, pushing on each others’ chests and frantically taking off towards their other friends.

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh Richie”

The voice was close as Richie held Eddie tightly, denying himself the urge to look back.

“Does Eddie know your secret????” IT teased, shrieking with laughter.

Richie could feel Eddie slow his pace down from the words spoken but refused to let them get distracted.

“Don’t listen to him!” he told Eddie, tugging hard on his arm to keep those shorter legs matching his own speed. “Keep moving!”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The losers had somehow did it again. They had worked together as a team to bring down Pennywise, only this time the clown was gone for good never to torment the group or innocent children ever again. The horrid memories would fade, but the good ones would stay, and soon they would be able to look back on this day as if it were only a nightmare instead of something that actually happened.

Everything was okay now. Everyone was safe. Time would heal all wounds.

So why did Richie still feel a weight on his chest as he plowed threw the front door and out into the fresh air with his friends by his side?

Why did he feel a desperate sense of longing as he peered over at Eddie?

He could hear the sound of the house collapsing behind him, his friends watching in both a mix of horror and relief while all he could seem to focus on was his friend heaving over to catch his breath beside him.

Richie’s mind was suddenly overcome with anxiety.

_What if he’s having an asthma attack? What if he needs his puffer? What if we can’t get him to the hospital in time?_

He reached out for Eddie much like he always did in times of stress, clutching onto his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. Eddie looks back at him and he is overcome with a rush of emotions.

Maybe it was the adrenaline of barely surviving what very well could have been their deaths, but something felt intense with the way the pair looked at one another. As if something as simple as making eye contact in the past was taken for granted now that they had barely escaped.

If something had happened to Eddie, Richie would surely have missed looking at him and getting lost in those eyes.

“You good, Eds?” the taller man asked, hand still rested on Eddie’s shoulder who gave a slow nod in his direction.

“Yeah, you?”

Richie returns the nod, heart skipping a beat when one of Eddies hand’s moves to rest on top his own.

“Good” Eddie’s voice is sincere, quiet enough that he is sure no one else could have heard him.

The others were forgotten as Richie exchanged a warm smile with his friend. It was rare for the two to last more than two sentences without one of them having something witty or insulting to say.

So, Richie refrains himself from saying the words “_Not as good as your mom”_ and allows himself the satisfaction of enjoying the unspoken chemistry.

Richie could have sworn he’d seen Eddie’s eyes bounce to his lips. Hell, he’d probably had his own eyes betray him several times by now unconsciously watching them as they moved. God knows how badly he wished he could close the space between them and pour out every ounce of feeling he had into one kiss. To tell Eddie exactly how he feels without having to utter a single word at all.

And for awhile they do stand there, looking at each other like they are about to kiss. Until Richie notices the hue of Eddie’s skin go pale, and before he can even retract his arm back to his side or step out of spraying distance, Eddie is throwing up whatever contents of his stomach – some on the pavement, some on himself, and some on Richie.

Ben is quick to react first with a surprised “Woah” and manages to pull Bev away to a safe splash free distance.

The group stared in shock at Richie and Eddie who stood frozen in place; Eddie stuck in a knelt over position staring at the mess he had made while Richie held his arms away from his body trying not to add to the pile of vomit with his own stomach churning at the smell.

“Gross dude” he could barely make out the outline of Eddie threw his glasses covered in blood and puke.

“This is…” Eddie begins, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand “… _so_ unsanitary”

Richie rolls his eyes. “You’re telling me?”. He was, after all, the one covered in his vomit. 

Bill had suddenly appeared at Eddies side with a concerned look on his face asking if he was okay, and Richie takes a moment to wipe his glasses off as best he can on a dirty shirt before slipping them back on for a better view of Eddie.

He notes that the color of his face had returned back to normal easing some of his concern.

“Yeah… yeah I’m fine. I think all the running and the rush of everything really got to me there. I’m okay now though”

“Ugh” Richie wrinkles his nose, directing Eddies attention back to him. “I stink. Thanks a lot, Eds”

Eddie folds his arms across his body, their moment of sincerity long gone now as their childish bickering had quickly resurfaced.

“You’ve always stunk, jackass”

“At least I’m physically fit enough to run long distances, dick face”

“I’m just as surprised because honestly, it doesn’t look like you could”

Richie opens his mouth ready to fire back but Ben interrupts before he can even get the words out.

“We should go back to the cliff we went too as kids. Jump in the water and get rinsed off there”

His words had been mainly directed at Beverly so when everyone moves to follow, Ben can’t help but feel the slightest bit of disappointment.

“Wait” Bev interrupts, turning her attention to Richie and Eddie. “I don’t think jumping into the same water as these two sounds appealing right now”

The easily disgusted side of Eddie understands where Bev is coming from, but that still doesn’t stop him from pretending to be annoyed.

“Well, that’s just rude” he states, crossing his arms across his soiled shirt.

“Honestly, you both stink. Would you two just go take a shower?” she flashes them both a sweet smile, trying to lessen the impact of her words.

“Come find us when you g-guys are cleaned up” Bill adds.

Bev gives Richie a quick nudge on the shoulder silently hoping that it’s enough for him to take the hint before running off to catch up with the others.

It was plain as day the feelings that existed between Richie and Eddie. Everyone, and I mean _everyone_ could see it. Everyone *except* for them.

Somewhere deep down, Richie knew that Bev had purposely excluded them as a way to give him the opportunity to come clean about his feelings. And now that the two were alone, covered in filth and Eddie’s bodily fluids, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly nervous.

Richie kept his pace up fast heading back to their temporary living arrangement of a house as Eddie lagged behind.

“Hey! Would you slow down a bit” Eddie huffed, struggling to match the pace of his taller friend.

Richie listens, slowing his pace to give Eddie the chance to catch up but not without some teasing.

“It’s not my fault you have legs the length of a child”.

Eddie flashes him a dirty look and scoffs. “Whatever, giraffe legs”

Richie can’t stop the corner of his mouth from twitching up into the faintest smile. He loved everything about Eddie including his ability to match his own level of sass.

Upstairs, the pair continue their bickering as they argue over who gets the shower first.

“You were the one that threw up on me, it’s only fair I go first” the taller man stood in the doorway of the bathroom gripping both sides in an attempt at blocking Eddie’s entrance with his body.

“Come on Rich” Eddie pouts, giving him a look that makes his heart squeeze. “You know how I am about germs”

He sighed in response, feeling himself slowly giving in. Of course his soft spot for Eddie would let him get his way eventually. But this was Richie, and he just _had_ to give Eddie a hard time.

“Say please” he smirked down at the unamused man, towering over him.

Eddie pursed his lip and forced himself to hold Richie’s gaze as if looking away would make him seem weak. _That smug fucking bastard _he thought, standing up a little taller. He wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“You wish, Tozier”, and before he could even react, Eddie had ducked under his arm and let himself into the bathroom.

“Fine” Richie shrugged his arms and followed inside, closing the door behind him. He moved towards the shower, turning the handle to allow the water to run before hooking a finger inside of his muddy jeans.

“Last chance” he warned, eyes locking with Eddie’s who stood awkwardly by the sink. He was confident that Eddie would crack and bolt out the door before he even had time to remove his clothes.

Instead, Richie found that his plan had only blown up in his face when his pants had reached his ankles and Eddie still hadn’t budged an inch.

He had already committed and backing down would only make him the coward, so off went his shirt – tossing it on the floor along side his jeans.

He suddenly felt extremely nervous, anxiety only intensifying as Eddie moved to remove his own clothes. He brought his long arms up to fold across his bare chest, keeping his head lowered towards his feet.

Eddie removed his pants first, followed by his shirt which Richie could make out happening from the corner of his eye. With Eddie’s view blocked by his shirt, Richie allowed himself to sneak a quick glance at Eddie’s bare torso and then returned them back to the floor.

Eddie winced as the fabric of his shirt brushed against his bandaged cheek, hissing out in pain. He had almost forgotten about Bower’s stabbing him in the face, examining the dirtied cloth taped to his left cheek in the mirror above the sink.

Richie had noticed his friend’s discomfort, retiring his stare from the tiled floor. “You okay?”

From a distance, he could see that Eddie was fiddling with the tape, so he moved closer to try and help him.

“Here” he turned Eddie by his bare shoulders, forcing him to face him. “Let me see”.

Eddie was quiet to which Richie took as a sign to continue, gently removing the tape and tossing the soiled bandage in the garbage.

Eddie stood perfectly still, feeling Richie’s eyes burning into him as he examined his face from up close. He could feel his warm breath tickling his skin and had to grasp the edge of the sink to steady himself.

“Be honest…. Is it bad?”

“Honestly…. No”.

He knew that Eddie was reading his facial expression as if to gauge his real reaction. Truth be told, it wasn’t bad. But Richie had to force himself to remain calm because of the sudden strong desire to rip Bower’s head off for what he had done to _his _Eddie. 

When he was finished looking over the wound, he maneuvered to grab a clean cloth and wet it with warm water under the tap before turning back to face Eddie. “Hold still” he instructed, gently cupping Eddie’s chin with his free hand. The space between the two was almost non-existent with Eddie’s back pushed up against the sink and Richie leaning into him.

He inched the cloth towards the swollen cut on Eddie’s cheek, trying to steady his shaking hand which was made almost impossible when he remembered how they were both awkwardly standing in their boxers, mere centimeters separating their naked skin.

Eddie remained silent as Richie worked to remove the caked off blood from his cheek. It touched him how gentle he moved, careful not to bring any additional discomfort to his wound.

He wondered if Richie could tell he was nervous and had to force himself to steady his breathing.

The bathroom light had cast a glare on Richie's glasses making it difficult to make out his soft blue eyes as they focused in careful concentration.

When he moved to reach for the alcohol wipes, Eddie groaned in anticipation. He knew the sting all to well from treating his own injuries as a child. His fear of infection was always greater than his fear of pain.

Still, he knew this would hurt like a bitch.

Richie was once again quick to notice Eddie’s discomfort, breaking the silence as he gently worked to disinfect the wound. “Man, fuck the whole comedian act. I should have been a doctor”.

Eddie both winced at the sting and let out a chuckle, raising an eyebrow in agreement. “It would have definitely eased my mind to have had a doctor with us back there. If I had gotten impaled or something, Richie Tozier to the fucking rescue”

The second Eddie had finished his sentence, he knew he had said something wrong. Richie’s soft expression had suddenly vanished, and Eddie could practically feel the tension radiating off of him.

“That’s not funny, Eds” his tone was serious, something Eddie wasn’t used to hearing.

Richie’s energy was different now as he continued work, distracting himself with the fact that the wound was already looking better.

Eddie didn’t know how, but he had somehow managed to ruin the moment. He was suddenly nervous and very confused, attempting to loosen Richie back up with what he believed was humor as he continued building onto his twisted fantasy. 

“Imagine if I had died though. You wouldn’t have had to be fighting me for the shower right now”

Eddie winced as the warmth of Richie body was ripped away from him and replaced with cold air. Richie had quickly backed away from him in frustration, letting the alcohol wipe drop to the floor in the process.

“Dammit Eddie, don’t fucking joke like that!”

He didn’t mean to shout at him, and a part of him felt bad for making Eddie flinch at his sudden outburst, but he just couldn’t bear to imagine if Eddie had actually died back there. What he’d be doing right now if he hadn’t had managed to save him back there.

With a loud sigh, Richie rubbed a hand across his face, knowing he owed Eddie an explanation.

He had to allow that horrid vision to cloud his thoughts.

“I saw you die when I was trapped in the dead-lights”. He normally spoke with a loud voice, but right now he could barely bring his voice above a whisper. “Impaled right threw the chest by that lunatic of a fucking clown”. 

“Oh” is all Eddie could say, taking in the words said to him and suddenly feeling like an asshole for earlier. “Richie, I’m so sorr- “

“No” he interrupts, taking a step back towards him. “You didn’t know. Its okay”.

The last thing Richie wanted to do was upset Eddie. He always hated it when he felt bad.

Eddie studied Richie carefully with that pouting face he seemed to wear far too often, eyeing him up and down.

He noted the way his bare chest covered with less hair than his own moved with every inhale and exhale. Silently, he craved to feel that rise and fall pressed up against his own body.

Without another word, Eddie carefully removed Richie’s glasses from his face, allowing his thumb just the slightest of contact along his cheek as he did. He moved from where he was knelt against the sink, and placed the neatly folded glasses a top the counter.

“The shower’s all yours” he told him, rushing past and out the door without another glance in his direction.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When it was Eddies turn to use the shower, the mirror was still fogged up, bathroom steamy from when Richie had finished. The warmth was calming, and he could still smell the faint scent of Richie’s shampoo in the air as he climbed into the shower.

As he stood under the hot water, adding to the steam of the room, he thought about how Richie only moments ago was standing right where he was. He felt his presence like a ghost, longing for him to actually be under the water with him and holding him close.

It pained Eddie to think about the 27 years they had spent apart. Pained him even more so at the fact he had managed to forget about him for most of those years. How he was able to forget how close they were as kids. Always giving each other a hard time, but secretly loving it. Using every chance they got to pick on one another without it feeling like a rivalry but instead something light-hearted and goofy.

Just two kids subtly flirting in a way that masked their true feelings.

It wasn’t until he came across one of Richie’s comedy acts on TV one day that it had hit him like a train.

Richie still looked like that same goofy kid he had crushed on all those years ago, all crazy hair and those big blocky glasses. That night he had taken it upon himself to look up Richie on the internet, and from that point forwards he always kept up with his comedy acts. Each time he watched him on TV, spreading laughs across the world, Eddie was overcome with an immense sense of pride for his friend. 

Now that they were older, there was no denying that Eddie didn’t have some sort of crush on Richie looking back on it now. It was hard for him to not wonder if he’d still have married if he never forgot about his friend.

Where they would be now if they had stayed in one another’s lives.

Being back together again, Eddie had found his feelings quickly resurfacing at an alarming rate, already surpassing the extent to which he felt for his wife – something he knew was a big problem he’d need to face sooner or later.

_“You’re braver than you think” _

Richie’s words echoed through his head as he rinsed the soap from his thick brown hair.

27 missed years they could have been spent together. Years they could never get back.

He needed to tell Richie how he felt.

He had to be brave _for Richie. _

Outside of the bathroom door, Richie was pacing back and forth, running a shaky hand threw his damp hair.

Eddie had been in the bathroom for close to half an hour now and every minute he was left alone with his thoughts had been agonizing. He couldn’t stop replaying the sight of Eddie in his boxers, face only inches away from his as he worked to treat his wound.

Only a couple hours ago he had almost lost Eddie to a murderous clown. He could have died without ever knowing how he truly felt for him. That Eddie was not just his first, but the only love of his life.

He regrets not having the courage to tell him as a kid. Regrets even waiting this long to tell him now. He knew Bev would surely kill him if they met up later only to find out that he still hadn’t told Eddie how he felt.

Taking a deep breath, Richie forced himself to move before his brain could even stop him and marched right up to the bathroom door ready to knock.

Just as his fist was about to make contact with the wood, the door flings open at the same moment revealing an equally anxious clean Eddie. Richie can feel the wave of steam blow against his face as he awkwardly returns his hand back to his side.

“Richie, I need to tell you something”  
“Eddie, I need to show you something”

There words came spilling out at the exact same time sounding like a jumbled mess.

“You first”  
“You first”

They both pressed their mouth into a thin line faced with the new dilemma that neither one of them would want to go first now.

“Rock, paper, scissors?” Richie suggests, moving a fist out between them. “Loser goes first”

Eddie stares at Richie’s hand for a moment before extending his hand out to join his. “Best two out of three”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“How the fuck would someone cheat at Rock Paper Scissors?” Eddie laughed, shocked at Richie’s absurd accusation.

Richie shrugged his shoulders, moving to tuck his hands into his jeans. “I don’t know, you always had the worst luck as a kid”

“Don’t be a sore loser, Rich” Eddie flashed a smug smile in his direction. “Maybe your lucks just run out” 

The taller man frowned at the statement; eyes glued to his feet as he walked side by side with Eddie.

_Actually Eds, you have no idea how lucky I am. You’re still here. You’re with me. I have another chance to come clean about how I feel, and I have no clue if that actually has anything to do with luck or if its just simply fate. _

\- Is what he wanted to tell him. But in all honesty, he had no clue where to start or how to even push the words from out of his mouth.

So instead he had planned to show him.

The closer they got to the kissing bridge; the more Richie could feel his heart begin to race. And when they finally reached the familiar spot, that same spot he knelt in front of as a kid carving away in a hurry before anyone could see, was when it hit him that this was it.

There was no going back now.

Eddie came to a stop beside Richie, scanning his surroundings with a confused look on his face while Richie had his eyes glued to the familiar carving that made his heart ache remembering the child he used to be. The one who kept everything inside. Who was afraid to tell anyone about such a big part of himself because he felt ashamed.

“Why did we stop?” Eddie asked a little impatiently. He had clearly failed to notice what had captured his friends attention, instead distracted with wiping a way at a speck of dirt on his shoe.

Richie remained silent as he ran a finger over the initials in the wood, as if he was re-carving the letters with his finger.

R + E

When Eddie didn’t receive an answer, he finally fixed his attention to his movements, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the sight before him.

The seconds of silence that followed afterwards were agonizing to Richie as Eddie processed what he was seeing. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been holding his breath until Eddie had spoken the letters out loud.

“R + E”

Richie felt the heat rush to his face, letting his eyes settle on everything but Eddie. For once in his life, he was truly speechless.

Eddie’s fingers went out to dust off the engraving, smiling to himself at the thought of young Richie running off to the kissing bridge to carve their initials together. Young, tough-guy Rich who would rather make a joke about fucking Eddie’s mom than be caught actually being soft.

Except now, here he was, finally letting his guard down and showing Eddie how he feels, and Eddie has to fight the urge to shake him and scream “_WHAT THE FUCK TOOK YOU SO LONG?”_

Instead, Eddie scans the ground for something sharp, silently rejoicing when he finds a sharp rock perfect for what he needs it for.

As Eddie wits away at the wood beside their initials, he can practically feel the anxiety and nerves radiating off of Richie who hovers above him and begins spilling out the truth.

“Back when we were being chased and he said those things about if you knew my secret…” His voice was breathy as his heart beat out of his chest. “It was about this. I’m…. I’m gay, Eddie” 

It was somehow easier to say the words without looking at him, but he still felt no relief with Eddie remaining silent.

Luckily the silence doesn’t last long as Eddie is quick to finish, standing up in amusement and tossing the sharp rock off the bridge to present his work. “There!”

Eddie watches closely as the expression on Richie’s face shifts from fear to disbelief.

“E + R?”

“Yep!” Eddie crosses his arms and leans his body against the bridge. “Eddie + Richie sounds so much better than Richie + Eddie, don’t you think?”

Eddie had expected him to reply with something snarky, laugh, or give a sharp punch to his arm. What he did not expect was Richie to take a step and close the space between them.

He silently cursed himself for the sound of the sharp breath he took. The closeness of there bodies, Eddies back pressed up against the bridge and Richie surrounding him was almost intoxicating. He could feel the warmth radiating off of him. See the love in his eyes.

That intense way he looked at him, why did he never notice it before? Eddie hoped his eyes were giving that same message because he certainly felt love for the man standing in front of him. Love that couldn’t even begin to be defined by words.

Richie reached a hand towards Eddie to caress his cheek, startling himself when Eddie pulled away and winced in pain.

“Sorry!” He laughed nervously, feeling dumb for having forgotten about the wound he had literally just treated.

Eddie gave him a reassuring smile that it was okay, and this time Richie reaches for the uninjured cheek. He lets his fingers slowly feel the softness of Eddie’s skin, allows himself to trace the outline of his jaw and memorize the details with his touch.

Eddie unconsciously leans into the touch, pressing his cheek firmly into his palm as his brown eyes become lost in blue. When did he suddenly find this dorky man so damn attractive? He wanted to grab him by the collar and pull him in, but he also wanted to cherish this moment for as long as they could hold off.

The realization of their feelings, knowing that they both felt the same way, and having the rest of their lives to finally be together. Eddie knew he had to deal with Myra back home, but he was way too happy to even dwell on that right now.

They had been so lost in one another that they had forgotten where they were, pushed up against one another in public. It isn’t until a car drives by that Richie swallows hard and anxiously looks around for anyone that may be watching.

Eddie knows well enough the fear that Richie has. And so he takes his face in his hands and redirects his gaze back to his, ready to show him that there is nothing to fear anymore and nothing to stop them from finally being together.

Not even themselves.

Richie’s lips meet Eddies and it is both just as he imagined it to be, and nothing like he could have ever pictured it at the same time. Eddie’s lips are soft while his are not, and he moves against his own with such gentleness while Richie has to fight back the urge to press his mouth harder against Eddie’s.

The rest of the world seizes to exist, and it is as if they are kids again with no responsibilities, nothing to do, and no where to be except with each other.

When Eddie’s fingers tangle in those long wavey strands is when Richie can no longer fight the urge to deepen the kiss, glasses falling crooked as he begins to move his lips at a faster pace. He can’t seem to get enough of Eddie, and the gentle bite he delivers to the smaller mans bottom lip has Eddie pulling back in both surprise and because of the shiver that runs threw his body.

There foreheads are still pushed together as they breathe each others air and Eddie is able to regain his breath long enough to speak.

“You don’t have aids or herpes or anything right?”

His tone is light, and Richie knows that Eddie means it in a joking way. But he also knows him well enough to figure a part of Eddie wants some confirmation with being the clean and paranoid freak he is.

“Oh Eddie” he plays his part dramatically. “I was going to tell you – I swear”

Richie can’t even keep himself from holding back a smile as he watches the momentary flash of concern shoot across Eddie face.

“You asshole, don’t laugh at me! That shit is serious”

“Eds…” Richie wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him snug and tight against him. Eddie’s pouting face was so adorable that he had to fight the urge to squeeze his cheeks.

“Unless your mom had aids, I’m clean”

Eddies rolled his eyes in response as he watched Richie laugh at his own joke. 

“Just shut the fuck up and kiss me” Eddie ordered impatiently. 

It was surely enough to seize his fit of the laughter who eagerly moved in happy to oblige. 

There lips met again in a hungry kiss, and Richie didn’t honestly know if kissing Eddie would be something he’d ever get enough of. It was as If they had to account for all the time missed that could have been spent doing exactly this.

Richie decides to try something different and pulls away from Eddie who whines a bit at the loss of contact. His head dips down to plant a soft kiss on Eddie’s neck, followed by another, and another, and Eddie has to cling to the man in front of him so that he doesn’t fall over.

“Our level of PDA might be approaching it’s limit now” Eddie tells him threw half lidded eyes.

He knows Eddie is right, and so he has to pry himself from Eddie and take a step back to avoid himself from losing control again.

Eddie can still feel the tickling sensation of those lips moving against his neck, and his mind can’t help but ponder all the possibilities of where those lips could kiss once they were somewhere more private.

“We can finish this elsewhere” Richie tells Eddie as if he has just read his mind.

He gives a shy nod and lets Richie take his hand in his.

He had always been used to Richie clinging onto him as a child, both of them secretly enjoying the close contact. But this felt different and new to be openly holding hands in public, but more importantly it felt right.

“Hey” Eddie gives a faint squeeze to his lovers hand. “Can we stop at the convenience store real quick?”

Richie eyes him with a flirty smile, raising an eyebrow. “Why, Eds?” he gives an equally tight squeeze back and Eddie knows that his mind has gone straight to the gutter.

“Because you fucking need a breath mint, that’s why”

“Ouch” Richie pretends to be offended, raising a hand to his chest as if the comment physically hurt.

“anddd for other things obviously” Eddies cheeks had gone pink at his own words, blush only deepening as he feels those eyes scan him.

“Oh Ed’s. You’re just way too cute cute cute”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I'd love to write more for these two if you guys enjoyed it.  
Let me know if you want more with kudos and comments! They are always appreciated.
> 
> You can find me on twitter here ---> https://twitter.com/BaeHader


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